Stargate SG1 Ficlets
by xfirefly9x
Summary: Stargate SG-1 ficlets.
1. Broken

**Broken**

Prompt: #074 Darkness

Notes: Written for 50darkfics.

Darkness.

It was everywhere, all around them. It surrounded them and threatened to choke them until they were breathless.

There was no escape.

They were trapped and defenceless, with no weapons and injuries blemishing their skin from the countless beatings they had gone through.

It was pure agony.

Daniel was close to death and they all knew it. The torture had caused excruciating pain to all of them, but he had suffered the worst of it. After Daniel died, Jack, Teal'c and Sam would undoubtedly be next.

They were ready to give up.

They had lost track of time and had given up hope on being rescued. Their souls had been ripped from their bodies, leaving nothing but emptiness inside.

Their spirits were broken.

Everything that they had been was lost. The darkness and pain had finally consumed them.

They were broken.


	2. Can't Fight It

**Can't Fight It**

Prompt: #052 Forced

Notes: Written for 50darkfics. Slight spoilers for "New Order (Pt 1 & 2)".

He reached out and touched her mind again. Immediately, there was pain – a pain so unlike any other she had felt before; one that threatened to rip the very essence of her soul from her body. Along with the pain were images; flashes; that invaded her memory and made her see things.

She tried to force the images out of her mind but they kept on coming, rushing at her hungrily like a pack of wild dogs and allowing her no relief. It was useless to fight it, she realised after awhile. She couldn't break free of the trap he'd set in her mind and was in too much of a weakened state to fight him physically, on one of the rare occasions that he allowed her a brief rest.

The images just kept coming her way, forcing themselves through her mind and into her heart. Flashes of darkness and bloodshed and unspeakable evils plagued her and they refused to stop.

She didn't know how much more she could take. She was beginning to lose all sense of reality.

What felt like days after the first time he touched her mind – but was really only a few hours – she finally broke into tears, unable to keep them in any longer. Days after that when no signs of a rescue team came, she gave in to the numbness and watched her hope fade and slip away with every moment that passed her by.


	3. Resist Or Serve

**Resist Or Serve**

Characters: A force of resistance against the Goa'uld – could be the Tau'ri, the Tok'ra or the Jaffa or someone entirely different. You choose!

Prompt: #050 Writer's Choice – Resist

The resistance was strong and increasing in size by the day, but still they remained outnumbered and therefore, greatly disadvantaged in the battle against their opponents: the deadly forces of the Goa'uld. It seemed like no matter how hard the resistance pushed and no matter how many false Gods and Goddesses of Goa'uld origin were taken down, the evil Goa'ulds saw their advances as mere setbacks and nothing more than a minor threat.

The efforts of the resistance appeared fruitless, achieving equivalent results to what one would get should they attempt to assassinate every human being in China one by one. The procession never ended and all that they were doing was knocking down the first line of defence only to reveal line after line of more of the evil bastards, which they had no choice but to face again and again, repeating the same desperate attempts and barely holding up.

And they couldn't use the same methods every time, either. The Goa'ulds were too intelligent to fall for the same thing more than once or twice. Creativity was a much-needed thing.

The resistance was, in reality, fighting a battle that they were almost destined to fail and they were getting by only by the skin of their teeth. No matter how hopeless it looked though, they weren't about to give up. They would fight to the death and those who fell would die free.

The only option they had, after all, was to resist or serve.


	4. When I'm Gone

**When I'm Gone**

"Carter," Jack murmured quietly to her as she passed him a beer. "What do you think will happen when I'm gone?" He took the bottle with a quick nod of 'thanks' and expertly flicked off the lid. He watched as across from him, Sam did the same.

"Gone?" she asked, smoothing down her skirt with one hand and sitting down on the couch next to him.

Jack nodded. "Gone. As in when I move to DC and get the extremely fun desk job."

Realising his meaning – or rather the meaning behind the meaning – Sam took a mouthful of beer. Swallowing it down, she smiled at him. "Oh, I think I have a few ideas," she told him. "How about you?"

The sly smile he offered in response would have been unnerving to anyone who didn't know him well. "I think you're not alone in that."

"That's good to hear," Sam acknowledged.

They both fell silent.

"Should we test out these 'ideas'?" Jack suggested. "Just to make sure they work out alright, of course."

"I'm sure they'll work fine, Jack," Sam replied, choking back a laugh.

Raised eyebrows, Jack looked her over in disbelief. "I think you're missing my point, Sam. Some genius you are." He ran his tongue over his lips, all the while looking at her, eyes roaming her body.

Sam stared blankly at him for a moment. What did he-?

"Oh," she said finally. "Oh!"

Jack smirked as she sidled closer to him and laid a hand on his lip.

"Yes," Sam agreed slyly. "We should definitely do some experiments beforehand…just to make sure."

Jack grinned. "Sounds like a plan."


	5. Memory

**_Memory_**

She didn't have any of the things that other children did as they grew up. She didn't have toys to play with or friends. She didn't even have her mother to look after her. She barely had a thing and everything that she did have was not of Tau'ri origin, but rather of the Ori.

She was brought up by those who might as well have been strangers to fulfil a purpose she had no choice but to adhere to and she had been, except for the delicate care they put into raising her, completely and utterly alone. It was all she knew; yet sometimes she couldn't help but think it wrong. No child should grow up without first knowing his or her mother.

The mere prospect of family was just as alien to her as her life alone would be to anyone else. At times, she had passing thoughts on what her life would have been like had she taken the other path and denied the Ori their wishes of her to instead live with her mother.

Sometimes, now, with Vala creeping back into her life, she felt a small twinge of…something. She couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was, but there was a feeling deep inside that latched onto her heart and squeezed, as if trying to suck her soul from her body.

They shared no memories of a life together, and yet she wanted to feel a connection. She wanted to know a mothers' love. She knew she'd never truly know that feeling for as long as she lived.

_fin._


	6. Can't Wait

**_Can't Wait_**

"If I knew you liked food this much, I'd have suggested we do this a long time ago." Carolyn offers Cam a small smile, teasing. She tears her gaze from his to pick up a handful of grapes and then looks back at him as she pops one into her mouth.

Cam, his mouth already full, nods. He finishes chewing. Swallows. Reaches for anther cookie. "Well, food _is _the way to a man's heart, you know." He grins. "And good food, this is. You can really put together an excellent picnic lunch!"

"Why, thank you. I pride myself in my picnic lunch making skills."

His lips form a gentle smirk. "If I was nearly as skilled as you, I'd have picnics everyday. Or at least every weekend or every downtime."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Cam confirms. "Definitely. This has been really fun, really nice."

Carolyn smiles. "Agreed. We should do it again sometime."

"Sometime soon?" Cam's eyes are on the cookies as he speaks.

"Sometime soon."

"With more of these cookies?" He bites into one, savouring the taste.

Carolyn gives a short laugh. "With more of these cookies."

Without warning, Cam reaches for her and pulls her close. He kisses her, offers a smile that she returns a hundred fold.

"Well, I for one," he whispers in her ear, "can't wait."

_fin._


	7. Totally Worth It

**_Totally Worth It_**

It's over. It's finally over.

Janet sighs in relief and begins the walk to the infirmary, removing the latex gloves she'd not had a chance to take off up until this point. She relishes the rush of cool air over her bare hands and the sudden silence, the _freedom_, returned to her.

Now that she has no patients to tend to and the usual chaos that being a doctor at the SGC entails has dried up, she can breathe once more. She reaches her intended destination and slumps into the first chair she comes to.

Even as her eyelids flutter momentarily closed, a satisfied smile pulls at her lips.

Her job may be exhausting at times, but the lives she's saved? Totally worth it.

_fin._


	8. Circle Of Stones

**_Circle Of Stones_**

_**Notes:** Tag to 'Thor's Hammer'._

Sam could hardly believe what she and Daniel were doing. The Colonel and Teal'c were missing – she wouldn't let herself believe they were dead – and were very likely in trouble and they, she and Daniel, were sitting on the ground, cross-legged, in a circle of stones!

It had to be a dream. She could think of no other reason why she'd agree to this…thing, while her team-mates, her friends, could be in a life or death situation, waiting for them to bring in reinforcements.

The heavy feeling in her stomach that she and Daniel should've been out there, searching for them instead of wasting their time with this was beginning to drive her insane.

Of course knowing where to look would help That, she reminded herself was why they were sitting there. Or rather, it was why Kendra was. Apparently the woman had been enslaved by the Goa'uld and persuaded her symbiote to travel to Cimmeria, where they had fallen into the same trap that had ensnared Jack and Teal'c on SG-1's arrival to the planet.

She had been found wandering the mountain having escaped the 'labyrinth' and was therefore their best hope of finding it. Finding it would help them locate the rest of SG-1. Hopefully.

Sam sighed. Had she been able to, she'd have watched the clock to see how long it had been since her friends had gone missing. It would have given her something to do.

As it was all she could do was wait and hope that Kendra knew what she was doing and that she'd help put them on the path of Jack and Teal'c. Wherever they were.

_fin._


	9. Signed Up

**_Signed Up_**

It was times like these – being chased by Jaffa – that Daniel wished he hadn't signed up at Stargate Command. He had been in same life or death situations like this already and every time it happened, his opinion was the same. It sucked. It sucked big time. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins making his head pound with the pressure as he ran from today's Jaffa.

The tree branches that sprung at his face clawed at him like hungry animals. The ever so subtle sound of crashing footsteps were nothing but distant blurs. They were all he could hear.

Yup. It was times like these that made life at the SGC really suck.

On the other hand, they did make things extremely interesting, he mused, which balanced things out somewhat. And more importantly, what they, SG-1, were doing was helping the people of Earth and the Galaxy.

Forcing himself onward, Daniel caught sight of Sam as she dove through the blue ripples of the Stargate, barely missed by a staff weapon blast from a pursuing Jaffa. He allowed himself a small sigh of relief – if one can call it a 'sigh' while running like hell at the same time.

Jack and Teal'c had surely made it through ahead of her, which left only him. He kept running.

Stop! A sharp turn to the right. A turn back again. Three strikes from a Jaffa and three dodges from him. He finished it with a few bullets from his P-90.

He didn't see the Jaffa approaching him from the other direction.

An unforgiving staff weapon blast hit him dead on and he crumpled to the ground. His world turned black.

_fin._


	10. Who Knew?

**_Who Knew?_**

"C'mon!" Sam yells. "Don't fail me now!" She taps frantically at the keys of her keyboard and glares at the unresponsive screen. She pauses. A low humming sound fills the room.

"Come on!" She throws a fist at the computer and knocks it around a little, all the while knowing it won't get it working again.

As expected, nothing happens.

She curses and hits it again, purely for the satisfaction it provides.

"Please!" she mutters in annoyance. "Just." She whacks it again. "Work!"

The screen flickers and suddenly it's working once more, her program continuing where it left off.

Sam smiles thoughtfully and brushes a hand through her hair.

"Huh. Who knew? Asking nicely really can get you somewhere."

_fin._


	11. Stop And Think

**_Stop And Think_**

"Colonel," she says, hand venturing carefully around the bullet wound in his chest. "Can you hear me?" She pauses for a moment to glance up at his face. He's pale and very clearly minutes away from passing out. Even someone not trained as a doctor could figure that out.

He needs medical attention. Fast.

She runs her tongue over her lips and looks him over.

A guttural groan escapes his lips and sets the doctor in her on autopilot.

Before she knows it, she's going through the motions.

She helps to hold O'Neill down as a nurse gives him a shot of anaesthetic. She helps to prep him for surgery. She gingerly removes the bullet and stitches him back up. Applies bandages.

Finally, she watches as a nurse pushes the trolley bed he's lying in further down the infirmary to clear the area for any other emergencies that may or may not occur. She checks up on him once he's settled in.

It's all a blur of activity in her mind. From start to finish she has no time to stop and think. It's all action, all the time. Until the end, she is a machine whose only purpose is to aid in lengthening the life of another.

Her job only ever puts death off awhile, after all. There is no cure for death.

Nevertheless, she is proud of what she does. She saves people.

Every patient she treats, though, reminds her of just how vulnerable being a mortal can be.

_fin._


	12. Unfortunate Interruptions

_A/N: Adult themes! (Jack/Daniel)_

**_Unfortunate Interruptions_**

"Jack."

"Daniel."

"I...uh..."

"What?"

"This is kind of a bad time."

"Oh? Why?"

"Oh, you know."

"Hmmm?"

"I'm not wearing any pants."

"Oh! Yeah. Right. I'd noticed."

"So, if you could just give me a minute or two..."

"Yeah."

"...so I can put some on, that would be great."

"Yeah. Sure. I'll...uh...I'll be waiting. Outside."

"Okay. You do that. I won't be long."

Jack heads for the door, glances back at Daniel and then to the door again. He doesn't know where to look.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Don't worry too much about this...uh...rather unfortunate interruption of mine. It won't happen again."

"Wow. Had I known it would take losing my pants to teach you how to knock, I'd have done it a long while ago."

"Funny."

"I thought so."

"Anyway."

"Yeah."

Jack narrows his eyes. "Why exactly do you have no pants on? Just out of curiousity. Usually when at work, one wears pants. Usually."

"The changing rooms are full. I figured I'd be safe enough changing in here." Daniel frowns. "Obviously I was quite wrong about that."

"Well. Okay. I'll be going now then."

Daniel reaches for his pants where they're slung over the back of his chair, and slides them on. "No need to leave now. I'm dressed."

Shrugging, Jack moves further into the room and sits on the bench next to a stack of paperwork Daniel had been doing earlier that morning before their mission. He watches as Daniel gets started on it again.

He cracks his knuckles.

Sucks his lower lip into his mouth.

Shifts slightly.

"You know, Daniel," he says. "I'm sure we could find something more...interesting...to do to be walked in on doing."

"Hmmm?"

Jack waggles his eyebrows.

"Oh! Oh. That."

"Yeah, that."

They share a grin.

_fin._


	13. Endings And New Beginnings

**_Endings And New Beginnings_**

The moment Daniel Jackson had returned to the SGC, Jonas had known that it was time for him to move on. With the archaeologist back, there was no place for him on SG-1. He'd be a fifth wheel as the Earth saying went and he didn't want that. Wherever he was he wanted to fit in and to belong.

Here, he still felt like an outsider at times and with Daniel back it could only get worse if he stayed.

The thought of joining another SG team also held little appeal to him and to look at it simply, his journey with his Earth friends was coming to a close. It had been inevitable. A part of him had been waiting for this to happen since day one.

Considering the latest developments on Kelowna, he was needed more there than on SG-1 anyway. He had joined Colonel O'Neill, Colonel Carter, Teal'c and even Daniel to some extent to help his people and stave off the Goa'uld. It seemed that in failing the latter, he had achieved something resembling peace between his people.

It was a good start despite the circumstances under which it had been influenced by – one that he intended to nurture into something greater – and to do that, he had to leave.

Knowing in his heart that it was the right thing to do, Jonas decided that it was time for him to finally return home.

_fin._


	14. Chilled, Wind Blown, Numb

**_Chilled, Wind Blown, Numb_**

_**Notes:** Tag to "Stargate: Continuum"._

She's cold.

There's a definite chill to the air.

She wraps her arms tighter around herself and throws a concerned glance in Cam's direction. "How d'you think Daniel's doing?" she asks, almost yelling to him over the wind.

Cam shrugs. His expression is grim. "Probably not so good," he calls back.

She swallows and nods. Right. "Yeah, I thought as much."

They continue their trek through the snow and ice, ploughing through it one step at a time.

"How about you?" Cam suddenly questions her. "How are you holding up?"

She doesn't need to ask to know he's referring to what happened to Jack. She's still digesting it, to be honest. She's numb - and not just because of the weather conditions.

Jack. She still can't believe he's....gone. He's gone...

She says nothing, stares into the empty whiteness surrounding them both.

Cam frowns slightly and then a flicker of determination shows on his face. "We'll fix this," he tells her. "We'll set things back the way they should be."

She's not sure she believes him - and even if he's right, will it make any difference? Will Jack be okay?

She smiles weakly and nods anyway.

"We will fix this," he repeats.

If anything, she's grateful for the effort he puts into it.

_fin._


	15. In The Shadows

_(Sam/Daniel)_

**_In The Shadows_**

It is just them. Them and the darkness.

No one else exists.

Nothing else is real.

They do nothing but sit across from each other and stare. They listen to the beating of each other's hearts and feel the warmth resonating from their bodies.

Warm.

It is so very warm and yet they can't help but shiver.

They can't help but feel cold when their skin is not touching.

When their hands meet under the table, it's like a light has been switched on. They are bathed in filtered light and shadows, cool and yet warm and perfect.

It is magic.

It is real.

In the shadows, they exchange smiles.

_fin._


	16. Intruders Of A Different Kind

_(Jack/Daniel)_

**_Intruders Of A Different Kind_**

"Uh, Daniel," Jack said quietly. "I think we may have a few…'intruders'." He emphasised the last word with a wild hand gesture and nodded as discreetly as possible to their right.

Daniel glanced over and then turned back to raise an eyebrow at him. "Jack?" he asked, sceptically. "I don't see anyone. And why on Earth would there be 'intruders' here, anyway!? I mean, come on! This is my school reunion. You don't think that the Goa'uld would be _here_, do you?" He looked around again, this time more critically.

Watching him for a moment, Jack let out an exaggerated sigh. "Daniel. Not _that_ kind of intruder, for cryin' out loud! I'm sure the Goa'uld have better things to do with their time than follow us around _here_ of all places."

"Yeah, they're probably out enslaving people on other worlds as we speak," Daniel muttered under his breath. He threw in a few choice swear words that he'd learnt in his time at Abydos.

"What!?" Jack put in, confused.

Daniel stopped talking and stared at him. "What?" he repeated.

"You just said…oh, never mind."

"Uh…sure," Daniel agreed, his brow furrowed. "So these 'intruders'. If they're not Goa'uld, what are they?"

Jack fell silent and didn't provide an answer.

A few moments passed and Daniel opened his mouth to repeat the question when Jack put up a clenched fist to silence him.

"Them!" he hissed, pointing towards two small, darkened figures some distance away. "They've been following us around all night!"

Daniel followed the line of his finger with his eyes and on seeing the subjects, smirked. "Jack. They're little girls. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Almost growling, Jack spun to face him. "I'm _not_ afraid of them. They've just been _following_ us. All damn night!" He glared towards the huddled children, hoping that they'd scatter off in another direction and leave them the hell alone. He liked kids fine, but sometimes, like now, he wanted them far away.

There was only so much he could put up with and this was supposed to be a break away from the SGC and a break from constantly being followed. Sure, there were usually staff weapons or guns involved in the pursuing, but hey! Little girls could be very troublesome.

"Ack. Daniel. Tell them to go away. I can't handle kids tonight." Brown eyes clashed against blue ones, silently pleading.

"Jack, I'm sure they'll find something more interesting to do soon enough. We just have to wait it out." He smiled encouragingly and not moving his head, shifted his eyes to study the girls. One of them giggled at him while the other ducked her head down, but they made no sign of leaving.

"Or we could go inside," Daniel said, turning back to Jack.

Jack nodded fiercely in agreement and nodded at the bar decisively. "How about we get some drinks?" he asked, eyes glinting.

"Where the little girls can't follow," Daniel said slowly. He grinned and began walking with Jack even as he answered. "Sure."

_fin._


	17. Denial And Disillusionment

**_Denial and Disillusionment_**

**_Notes:_**_ Spoilers for Thor's Hammer._

"We can do this, Sam!" Daniel told me enthusiastically, gesturing at the mad scribbles on the board behind him. "We can go back and fix Thor's Hammer and save Sha're." The utter joy the idea gave him shone in his eyes and I couldn't help but feel miserable about what I knew I had to do.

I had to set Daniel straight. I had to show him that it wasn't possible; that we couldn't fix it. I had to tell him that his plan to save his wife wouldn't work and that there was nothing we could do for her – nothing that we had thought of so far, anyway.

His idea, although theoretically possible, would not be plausible given the advancement of the race that had built the device. There were certain materials that we almost certainly wouldn't be getting our hands on any time soon and even if we could, would be too technologically superior for our understanding.

"Daniel," I started cautiously. "I don't think we can do this." I forced myself to look him in the eye as I spoke, knowing that he would eventually see the truth of what I was trying to tell him and that telling him outright would make it easier on him and the rest of us. "Not this way," I added.

"Why not?" he asked, hurt in his voice. His brow creased in confusion and he stared at me expectantly.

_I knew he would act this way,_ I told myself silently, hating myself for doing this to a friend; especially a friend as close as Daniel. He was like a brother to me! Pushing that thought aside, I urged myself on. _You can do this!_

"The technology is too advanced and even if we were able to get our hands on the materials required, we wouldn't be able to get it to work. It's too complicated for us to comprehend." I paused and let it sink in.

A wave of emotions rushed over Daniel's face: confusion, followed by realisation and then anger and denial. "No!" he stated. "Just…no!" His jaw set in defiance, he stared back at me as if daring me to argue. "We _can_ do this!"

"Daniel," I said again, softly. I was about to try again when he decided to interrupt.

"No! Get out!" Daniel pointed at the door furiously and glared at me. "Go!"

I stared back at him sadly for a moment longer before reluctantly breaking eye contact and pulling away. Hoping like crazy that he would see through the illusion that he could save Sha're using Thor's Hammer and be able to move on and look for other ways, I headed for the door and left.

_fin._


	18. I’m All Yours

_(Sam/Vala)_

**_I'm All Yours_**

It's late afternoon when she sidles up to Sam in her lab. She wears a crooked smile and a thoughtful glint is in her eyes.

"Sam," she greets warmly.

Sam glances up from her laptop to smile at her. "Hey, Vala. What's up?"

She lifts a shoulder in a lazy shrug and peers over Sam's shoulder at the mission report onscreen. "Nothing much," she says. "I was wondering the same about you, actually."

"Oh, uh, I'm just finishing this report for General Landry," Sam tells her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "After that if you want to do something, I'm all yours."

She studies Sam for a moment, taking in the blonde of her hair and the ocean blue of her eyes. Her eyes drift to Sam's lips, pale and soft looking, before settling back on her amused eyes.

"I'd love that," she replies.

Sam grins and taps an index finger on the screen of her laptop. "I'll drop by your quarters once I'm done."

She nods and allows her smile to widen. "I'll be waiting."

_fin._


	19. Time To Move On

**_Time To Move On_**

**_Notes:_**_ Tag to "Morpheus"._

It was time to move on. Vala knew it the moment she realised that she was going to fail her psych exam. She didn't belong here and she never would.

She thought differently to these people and she acted differently. She did whatever was required of her to survive no matter the affect it had on others and more often than not, she went that little bit further to ensure she came out on top.

These people, Daniel, Mitchell, Sam and Muscles, were driven by much purer motives. They were nothing like her and she couldn't see herself ever doing what they did every day.

These people… they saved their world on a regular basis and while they often screwed up some of the most simple things and had unimaginative methods, they were still around, still alive. They were strong alone and stronger together and how was she supposed to fit in?

Daniel had made it quite clear that he saw her as a manipulative thief and nothing more, Cameron looked disdainfully at her almost every time he saw her and she couldn't read Teal'c's expression on the best of times. Sam seemed to tolerate her more so, but that was probably only because she had to.

They didn't make an effort to say they wanted her around. Maybe they didn't want her at all.

Their loss, she told herself as she stuffed the last of her belongings into her bag. They'd realise their mistake in letting her go. They'd miss her when she was gone.

Swiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, Vala took a last lingering glance around the room she had called home for the past few weeks.

They might think it meant nothing to her, but in reality, it meant more than she could ever put words to. She had thought she'd found peace, a place where she belonged.

She'd only found a stop along the way.

_fin._


	20. Revealing, Concealing And Contradicting

_A/N: Tag to 'The Pegasus Project'._

_**Revealing, Concealing And Contradicting**_

One thing that Vala had learned in her lifetime was that people were selfish. They had to be to survive everything that the universe threw at them. It was a law of nature. People would do anything, no matter the cost on others, to ensure their own continued existence.

It made sense that other species would do the same to save themselves, so why not the Ascended beings?

She had been certain that all they needed was a little push in the right direction to coax them into revealing something of use. She had been certain that they'd help if they too depended on the Ori being demolished and if that meant breaking a little rule or two and letting some non-ascended beings in on whatever it was that would stop the Ori, that they'd go for it.

Clearly she had been wrong.

If anything, her theory had been ripped to shreds. The Ascended beings had knocked down one of their own – Morgan LeFaye – when she had begun to tell them of such concealed information. They were risking themselves because they refused to interfere and help.

Logically, it made no sense. The Ascended beings were supposed to look out for humans and by not interfering they were breaking that rule. It was a complete contradiction. They could not provide protection if they refused to interfere even in the smallest way. And in doing so, they also risked themselves.

It was hard to comprehend and really all it told them was that the Ascended beings would not reveal anything more to them than they had already. They would just let things go on and do nothing to prevent the demise of the human race and perhaps even their own race. They would not be of any assistance against the Ori.

The fate of humans all over the universe rested only upon the shoulders of SG-1. They were truly alone in this.

_fin._


	21. The Gift Of Eggnog

**_The Gift Of Eggnog_**

"Daniel's awfully...cheerful," Sam notes. She offers Vala a sidelong glance and smiles softly.

"Yes," Vala agrees with a smirk. "He is. Brilliant, isn't it?"

Sam lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "I suppose so."

"And it's all thanks to the eggnog," Vala hints. "If I'd know it would take spiking his drink to loosen him up, I'd have done it sooner."

"Oh!"

"He kissed me before, under the mistletoe."

"Oh. Wow. That's...great."

"Yup! I believe Mitchell has also had a few drinks if you're interested."

Sam's face flushes red. She swallows.

Vala smirks. "I'm going to get back to Daniel."

_fin._


	22. Blood Ties, Blood Baths

_**Blood Ties, Blood Baths**_

Vala had never intended to mother a child. She had thought about it plenty of times as most did and had even picked out a name or two in the case that it ever happened, but she hadn't expected to actually get pregnant. That it had become a reality was a surprise to her as much as it was to anyone.

It was not unwelcome, but did not entirely sit well with her either, especially considering the very special circumstances around the birth of her daughter and who it was she was supposed to become.

It had happened though and the why's and how's no longer mattered – though she had a pretty solid idea on the answers to both of those questions. She couldn't change the past as a part of her so desired and that was final. That kind of technology was one that had not crossed her path before.

She couldn't help but love her daughter anyway and if she did get a chance to undo her existence, she didn't know if she'd have the heart to. She didn't think she'd be strong enough.

Despite her true origins, Adria was her flesh and blood. It was human nature to wish nothing but happiness and safety upon her and it was all Vala could do to not run off in search of her to ensure that she truly was okay.

Even as those thoughts and emotions chased each other through her day by day, she knew she couldn't let them get a hold of her. She was mother to one of the most powerful beings to ever come into existence, to her knowledge, and she'd never truly have the relationship she desired with her daughter in this lifetime or the next.

They were tied to each other by blood, but blood having a density such as it did could never give them the sort of bond that would last for eternity. They belonged on opposite sides of a raging battle.

_fin._


	23. Most Pleasurable

_**Most Pleasurable**_

"What the _hell _are they doing?" Jack hisses at Sam, while nodding off to the right where Daniel and Vala huddle closely together…covered in slime. He screws up his nose in disgust but doesn't dare to tear his eyes from the scene playing out before him.

Sam sidles up to him and joins in watching them. Vala's hands, she can see clearly, have crept around Daniel's waist and are toying with his pants. Her lips are almost touching Daniel's left ear. They move silently, slowly, as she tells the archaeologist something; something that makes him grin and blush furiously.

Sam raises an eyebrow. "It looks like they're…well, I don't know...'playing' in the mud." Her face flushes the same colour as Daniel's as their activities intensify slightly. She averts her gaze to focus instead on Jack who is still studying Daniel and Vala intently.

"Perhaps we should let them have some privacy," she suggests.

Finally as if her words have flipped a switch, Jack turns from them. He sees the look on her face and then double takes on Daniel and Vala. "Oh! _That's_ what they're doing!"

Sam nods. "That it is."

"But why? Why in that slimy goop?" Bewilderment.

Behind them, Teal'c sniggers. "I believe that it is most pleasurable," he informs them vaguely. He leaves before they can question him on his knowledge of it.

Jack and Sam exchange a look, mouths hanging open.

Sam is first to recover. "Maybe there's something to it," she ponders aloud. She picks out another puddle of goop with her eyes.

Jack shakes his head in mild exasperation and sighs. "And I thought the lab at Area 51 would be the strangest place!"

_fin._


	24. The Natives Were Right

_**The Natives Were Right**_

"Don't stray from the path."

That's what the natives had told them before sending them on their way. It was dangerous apparently.

SG-1 knew danger well of course and when the sun died, to be replaced with dull moonlight, they left the comfort of the road before them to risk the voyage back to the Stargate.

They didn't count on there being very solid truth to the native's warnings, nor did they count on there being animals remarkably similar to possums – only with much larger teeth.

Two angry possum-creatures clamped onto Jack's arm.

"Well. The natives were right."

_fin._


	25. Talking Crazy

_**Talking Crazy**_

"Sir?"

"Yeah, Carter?"

"He's done it again."

Jack sighs heavily down the phone and listens to the silence on the other end. When it becomes apparent that Sam is going to say no more, he gives a grunt. "He's drunk again?"

"Yep."

"What's he done this time?"

A smirk is in her voice as she answers. "He keeps insisting that you can be very deep, sir. That and he's certain that Teal'c's symbiotic just talked to him."

"Oh?"

"Yep."

Jack ponders this for a moment. He smirks.

"Keep the booze away from him, I'm coming to take Daniel home now."

_fin._


	26. Lets Her Go

_A/N: Sam/Cam, hints at Sam/Jack_

**_Lets Her Go_**

Her hair is strands of angelic yellow. It's at shoulder length now and is layered slightly at the front. He wants nothing more than to lean in close to take some of it between his fingers. Instead he smiles wanly at her and restrains himself. It is not his place.

She is no longer his.

His eyes shift to the sandy brown haired man standing out the front of the church. He adjusts her veil and watches as she smiles back at him and then turns and starts the walk up the aisle.

Lets her go.

"Go get him, Carter."

_fin._


	27. You're The Bait

_**You're The Bait**_

"Do you trust me?" Jack asks Daniel.

The archaeologist shrugs. "Of course."

"Do you trust me with your life?"

Daniel blinks. He scratches the area behind his left ear. He readjusts his glasses. Frowns. "What's this about, Jack?"

"Do you, Daniel?"

"You know I do. We all do."

A smile reaches Jack's face.

Daniel blinks some more.

"Well then," Jack announces. "You'll not try to hurt me then when I tell you that for this mission you're the bait."

"I'm what?!"

Jack falters. "Bait?"

Ten seconds pass. Fifteen.

Daniel narrows his eyes at Jack, who gulps. "Fine by me."

"What?!"

_fin_


	28. Belonging

_**Belonging**_

Does he want command of SG-1? Hell, yes!

Does he want command of SG-1 when it's not actually SG-1, but rather a team of other, chosen by him? He doesn't know. He doesn't think so.

The reason he so badly wants command over SG-1 is its members: Colonel Samantha Carter, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. Their fame throughout the SGC is inspiring. He wants to be a part of it.

But can he be a part, really, when SG-1 isn't SG-1 anymore?

Is it worth taking command when he isn't getting his dream team - but merely a poor substitute?

He sighs.

It isn't, really.

But maybe he can find a way to get what he wants. Maybe he can talk Sam, Dr Jackson and Teal'c into rejoining SG-1. That is where, he is certain, they all belong.

_fin._


	29. More Primal

_**More Primal**_

It comes to him as a surprise that he misses Vala. After all of her insane antics and trouble she has put him through, he still wishes he could see her. Just one minute would do.

It would give him time to get it out of his system and her presence would remind him how crazy she is. That should be enough for him to come to his senses.

Vala has just about sent SG-1 to hell and back. It's insane that he feels for her. It's not love or a crush as Cam keeps teasing him, but something deeper. More primal. There's definitely some hate, too. Beneath his skin, she has embedded herself, and she stays in the forefront of his mind.

He misses her for a reason that he cannot comprehend, and in the end that's what matters and that is what confuses him.

_fin._


	30. Sanctuary Is What They Seek

_**Sanctuary Is What They Seek**_

Sanctuary is what they seek. Their world is cruel and the people are worse and when they bent the rules to save another, they were left with two options: find a new place to live or remain on their world for punishment. Punishment is death. Neither option holds promise but the first is satisfactory. It will do for now.

And so they pack their bags and wave goodbye to the last of the people who don't want to see them dead. With that, they dial the address to a planet called Earth of which great stories they have been told, and they watch the blue surface of the Stargate whoosh out and settle back in the big stone ring.

They take last looks at the place they called home. And then they step through the Stargate.

_fin._


	31. Bed Now

_**Bed. Now.**  
_

Janet couldn't listen to any more of it. "Quiet!" she exclaimed, "Or you won't just get a week off missions; I'll put you off-duty for a month."

"You can't do that," O'Neill said, though he knew should did have that power.

"Do you really want to try me?" There was a warning tone to her voice that was more powerful than the glare on her pretty face.

"But muuuuuum," he teased her. "I don't want my meds. They make me sleepy."

"Take it like a man," Janet said, and tried again to insert the pills into his mouth. "It's for your own good."

"But I don't wanna."

Janet opened her mouth to yell some more at him and then she had an idea. A very clever idea. She closed her mouth.

"What?" O'Neill said, noticing her pause.

"I'll get Teal'c to force feed them to you if you don't take them this instant."

"Oh, really?" he replied. He wore the most annoying smirk she had seen, and that if anything was what made her go through with it.

Two minutes later, she watched O'Neill protest desperately as Teal'c pinned him to his bed and pushed the two sleeping pills into his mouth.

Teal'c ran a finger over O'Neill's throat as she had instructed him to, so that O'Neill swallowed the pill, and then, satisfied the pill had in fact been swallowed, Teal'c stepped back.

"Thank you, Teal'c," Janet patted him on the arm.

Teal'c inclined his head, a quiet nod, but said nothing.

"_Really_?" O'Neill exclaimed.

"Bed. Now."

And instead of arguing, this time he did.

_Fin._


	32. Don't Burn Down the House

_**Don't Burn Down the House**_

It's never easy saying goodbye. Any time they go off world, whether together or assigned to other teams, there is a risk they will not return. Every time they say goodbye, it could be the last time.

Most goodbyes she's said have been rather harmless. Some haven't been.

This one, she knows, will be altogether different. And it will definitely be the best goodbye she'll ever say.

"Goodbye," Sam says, smiling at Daniel, Teal'c, Vala and Cam.

Beside her, Jack smirks and loops an arm around her. "Bye kids. Don't burn down the house while we're away."

"You spoil all our fun," Vala teases.

Sam rolls her eyes. "Stay safe, okay?"

"Of course," Daniel agreed. "And you two have fun!"

"Yeah, it's about time you got that honeymoon going!" Cam winked.

"What d'you say, Carter? Shall we do as these kind folk suggest?"

Sam nods. "But first, more hugs."

_fin._


	33. Many Variables

_**Many Variables**_

"It's a good thing I remembered to charge my laptop!" Sam said, stroking along the shiny black equipment. "This is going to take more work to figure out than I can do in my head."

"Are you sure you want to be saying that when that McKay guy is around?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sam shrugged. "Oh, he's off talking to one of the techs about something or other. I didn't quite catch it. But he's gone for now. Thank God."

"Annoying you that much?"

"More. He thinks he's better than everyone else and isn't afraid to say so. Loudly and right to your face."

"At least he's not talking behind your back. That's something."

She smirked. "True. And it gives me a better excuse to punch him in the nose."

"Carter! Settle, girl. Whoa." Looking at her as if she had just admitted to being in love with the man she had just complained about, he made a wild gesture with his hands, a silent, _please stop!_ He cleared his throat.

"Don't worry, sir." She smiled. "I wouldn't actually go through with it and punch him."

"Really?"

"Well…" It was likely that she would punch the man. Both of them knew it. Sam was certain that McKay knew she'd hit him too, not that he cared about that in the slightest. He treated it like it was a joke. His people skills were appalling.

"Right then, Carter," Jack said before she could take back her promise. "Let's leave it at that, okay? You'd best get onto that… whatever that is." He shrugged when she gave him a small frown.

"The theory? There are so many variables to take into account and-"

"Good luck," Jack interrupted. "I'll be in the cafeteria with cake once you're done. I hear there is chocolate cake today."

Sam nodded and forced a smile. "Yes, sir. Enjoy your cake. I'll get back to work."

Jack hesitated. "You know what? Keep working and I'll bring you cake here in a bit. Sound like a plan?"

She smiled, this time without the hidden sadness behind it. "That would be great, sir. I'll see you in a bit."

"In a bit," he agreed. He saluted her as he left and she watched him until he was out of sight before letting out a sigh.

She ran her fingers over her laptop again and listened to its gentle hum. "Back to work," she muttered to herself, and she began to type away and work on the code that no one at the SGC had been able to crack.

_Fin._


End file.
